Two of three members of a family charged with trying to kill a Liberty man in March by setting fire to his home while he was inside entered guilty pleas in Cannon County Circuit Court Thursday.

Charlotte Hill entered best interest pleas of guilty to Facilitation to Attempted First Degree Murder, Facilitation to Aggravated Arson and Facilitation to Especially Aggravated Robbery. She received three 10 year sentences and was ordered to serve 1 year in jail. She was placed in probation for 10 years, given credit for time served and was ordered to pay court costs.

Her mother, Mary Hill, entered no contest pleas to Facilitation to Attempted First Degree Murder, Facilitation to Aggravated Arson and Facilitation to Especially Aggravated. She also received three 10 year sentences and 10 years on state supervised probation. She was ordered to serve 9 months in jail and to pay court costs. She was released on time served.

Both Charlotte and Mary Hill were also ordered to have no contact with the victim, Lonnie Estes.

A third defendant, James Hill, was granted a motion for a mental evaluation Thursday and his case was reset for March 9, 2012.

During an argument between Estes and the three Hills over linen on March 16 of this year, James Hill allegedly hit Estes with a walking cane. It broke, then Hill hit Estes with a chair, knocking him to the kitchen floor. Estes said James Hill then went outside, got a gallon milk jar of gasoline, came back inside and threw it on the kitchen floor and set it on fire.

One year in jail and ten years on probation, for trying to kill a person! No wonder why there so many repeat offenders in Cannon County because they know that whatever they do they will only get a short amount of jail time and the rest of it probation. The judges and the D.A. office need to start imposing stiffer sentences.

I agree with JameBob. All of the talk and concern about the Wednesday crowd outside of the PCC office, in my opinon, is justified. How many more persons standing there are guilty of attempted first degree murder or even murder? What about rape, incest and child molestation? I don't blame the mothers of these little girls for not bringing these children to the dance practice on Wednesdays.

Murder/attempted murder is a capital crime and should have been sentenced to 10 yeard to be served concurrently a charge for arson. Time served for local jail time is nothing like serving in a prison setting. This will be another repeat offender. The judge did not do this case justice. Mr. Estes needs to beware because they will come back to finish what they started.